


玉響

by keijitrash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen, I Don't Even Know, Seijoh Goes To Nationals, Terushima Keeps Cursing, The Nekoma VS Seijoh Match You Never Asked For But Got Anyway, Ushijima is Adorable, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keijitrash/pseuds/keijitrash
Summary: Aoba Johsai goes to Nationals and faces of with Nekoma High School for their first match.
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro & Iwaizumi Hajime & Matsukawa Issei & Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	玉響

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [Blue's tweet](https://twitter.com/tobiousamayama/status/1269608500419637249?s=20) about Nekoma VS Seijoh.

Oikawa could hear his heart in his ears. It drowns out the crowd’s high-pitched screams as he and his team enter a turf they never thought they would step foot in.

_Nationals._

Even just thinking about it still makes his head reel. After years and years of continuous defeat in the hands of Shiratorizawa…they finally make it. It’s unreal. Even now, Oikawa wonders if this is just all in his head – a dream too good to be true.

“You okay?” Matsukawa asks, standing behind him in line. Oikawa takes in a breath and gives him a wide grin.

“Never been better!”

**[ CAPTAINS UNITE | 11:29 ]**

**Daichi:** @Oikawa Tooru congrats on getting to Nationals!!  
**Ushijima:** Congratulations  
**Moniwa:** Oh yeah!  
**Moniwa:** Congrats @Oikawa Tooru!  
**Nakashima** : I can’t believe they finally beat you guys @Ushijima Wakatoshi  
**Ushijima** : They got stronger  
**Daichi** : You guys got to four sets  
**Daichi** : It was pretty amazing to watch  
**Nakashima** : Who’s Seijoh’s first game?  
**Moniwa** : Uhhh Nekoma I think  
**Moniwa** : Lemme check  
**Moniwa** : Yep it’s Nekoma  
**Daichi** : They’re up against Nekoma first?  
**Nakashima** : Oh they are!! Brb I’m going to watch the game now!

**[ SET 1 | NEKOMA 0 : 0 SEIJOH ]**

Oikawa researched everything he can about their opponent. He’d stayed up for _nights_ watching games from different schools all around Japan the moment the participating schools were released. He’d gotten himself reprimanded by Iwachan more than once, but he knows that all the effort he put wouldn’t be in vain.

Oikawa relays most of the things he found out after watching Nekoma’s old matches to the team. Their head coach nods his head, then takes his board and starts writing down their plan for the first set.

Iwaizumi places a hand on the setter's shoulder when they huddle.

Oikawa doesn’t miss the gentle squeeze when they lift their hands up and shout their school’s name.

“Let’s go, Seijoh!”

**| SEIJOH STARTING LINEUP |**  
(4) Kunimi (3) Matsukawa (2) Oikawa  
(5) Hanamaki (6) Kyoutani (1) Iwaizumi

 **| NEKOMA STARTING LINEUP |**  
(4) Kozume (3) Kuroo (2) Haiba  
(5) Inouka (6) Yamamoto (1) Kai

**FIRST SERVE : NEKOMA**

“Kai can definitely take on their captain’s receive,” Kenma tells no one in particular, his voice too quiet for the opposing team’s vanguard to hear. Kuroo, who’s standing beside him, listens. “It’s good that coach put him in the back.”

Kuroo hums, “I’m worried about Lev though.”

Kenma makes a face and sighs.

“Don’t remind me.”

**[ CAPTAINS UNITE | 11:42 ]**

**Moniwa** : Geh  
**Moniwa** : Oikawa’s serve is as scary as ever  
**Daichi** : Nekoma has a solid defensive lineup though  
**Nakashima** : Their middle blockers are scary!  
**Moniwa** : You say that like Date-Tech doesn’t exist  
**Nakashima** : I DIDN’T MEAN IT THAT WAY  
**Ushijima** : Their tall middle blocker is pretty useless in the back row  
**Daichi** : Ushijima you’re too harsh  
**Ushijima** : But he’s been flopping on receives  
**Terushima** : What’s going on  
**Daichi** : Nekoma vs Seijoh on the tv  
**Terushima** : Ooh cool cool  
**Ushijima** : Timeout is done  
**Daichi** : Aight

**[ NEKOMA 13 : 16 SEIJOH ]**

Kenma _observes_.

Throughout their game, Nekoma’s setter watches the opponent’s movements like he would while playing strategy games. He takes note of each of their weaknesses and strong points to relay to the team later on.

Right now, their main problem is Seijoh’s captain.

He’s an all-rounder player for sure; with his killer serves, powerful spikes, and fast sets. Looking for fault in the guy makes Kenma’s head hurt, and he doesn’t like it.

He tosses to Lev who’s on the left, making sure that it’s high enough for the Russian to hit above the blockers.

Number 13 receives the ball and clicks his tongue when his arms go red.

“Follow!” Oikawa calls out, making a gesture with his hands that Kenma hasn’t figured out yet.

The spikers move forward in synchrony.

Kuroo calls for two blockers to the right – where Number Four is – and makes a correct decision as the ball slams against the tip of his hands.

“ _One touch! Follow!_ ”

Kenma glances at the other team while the ball is bumped in the back. It only takes him a few seconds before he finds an opening on the other side, moves to catch the ball, and toss it to Taketora.

“ALRIGHT!”

The setter sags – two more points to take back.

**[ CAPTAINS UNITE | 12:09 ]**

**Terushima** : @Sawamura Daichi doesn’t Karasuno have a history w Nekoma?  
**Daichi** : Yeah it does  
**Daichi** : Our schools are old rivals  
**Moniwa** : Woah ‘old rivals’ has a nice ring to it  
**Daichi** : Nekoma vs Karasuno matches during the nationals were called ‘Battle at the Trash Heap’  
**Terushima** : wtf why does it sound so cool  
**Terushima** : it’s literally just battle in the dumpster but it sounds so cool  
**Daichi** : wwwwww  
**Ushijima** : What would our matches be called?  
**Daichi** : I guess that depends? Hahahaha  
**Daichi** : I’m not good with naming  
**Ushijima** : Battle in the sky?  
**Terushima** : USHIJIMA THAT SOUNDS COOL  
**Terushima** : AND BOTH OF YOUR SCHOOLS ARE BIRDS  
**Terushima** : …fuck that sounds wrong  
**Daichi** : TERUSHIMA  
**Moniwa** : I have no words…

**[ SET 2 | NEKOMA 21 : 21 SEIJOH ]**

Oikawa feels like he’s up against a tactician, and it makes him both exhilarated and pissed as hell. His hand signals? Useless. Trying to use dumps? Only works sometimes. His serves? 30% chance of getting received nicely.

“Ugh, seriously!” he musses his hair, “And it’s only the second set!”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes. “Welcome to Nationals.”

“Iwachan, shut up!”

The wing spiker glowers.

“What did you say?”

“Eep! Nothing!”

Hanamaki and Matsukawa watch as the two banter before the referee blows his whistle with amused looks. _Some things never change_ , they think.

“Oi, Oikawa you owe us ramen if we lose~!” Hanamaki calls out just as the ball arches to their side of the court.

Oikawa huffs, “Fine then!”

With a laugh, Hanamaki receives the ball, sending it to the setter’s direction.

“Mattsun!” he calls, poised to set.

Matsukawa responds with a, “Tantanmen!”, before jumping up to spike the toss.

**[ CAPTAINS UNITE | 12:44 ]**

**Ushijima** : Seijoh’s going to win  
**Daichi** : They’re already way ahead and it’s the third set  
**Daichi** : I feel bad for Nekoma  
**Ushijima** : Their #5 is good  
**Daichi** : Kenma?  
**Ushijima** : Whoever has the pudding head  
**Daichi** : Pudding head wwwwwwww  
**Terushima** : I mean Ushijima’s not wrong  
**Terushima** : Their setter really is good  
**Moniwa** : It’s like watching two people sending troops to the battlefield  
**Moniwa** : A battle between setters  
**Terushima** : YEAH  
**Ushijima** : It’s cool  
**Terushima** : HOLY SHIT YOU SAID COOL  
**Terushima** : HOLY SHIT  
**Terushima** : USHIJIMA  
**Ushijima** : Yes?  
**Terushima** : HOLY FUCK  
**Daichi** : Stop cursing  
**Terushima** : One last  
**Terushima** : WHAT THE FUCK

**[ SET 3 | (1) NEKOMA 25 : 27 SEIJOH (2) ]**

Kenma slumps on the bench once the match is over. His body ached and his head _throbbed_ but it was a good game. It was a really good game.

“You don’t seem sad,” Kuroo observes – trying to hide the fact that _he_ is the one feeling down about losing to Aoba Johsai. Kenma notices the tears mingling with his friend’s sweat but doesn’t comment.

Instead, he shrugs his shoulders. “It was a really great match,” he says, “like fighting a boss battle. Except we weren’t levelled up enough – not this time.”

Kuroo chokes back a sob and laughs, “Will we be on a high enough level to take them on next time?”

Kenma meets his eyes. A smile makes its way up his face – small, barely there, but a smile nonetheless – and his eyes glint with a fire that Kuroo’s seen during training camp; on their matches with Karasuno.

“Definitely.”

To anyone else it may sound overconfident, but to Kuroo it’s a promise.

Nekoma’s captain isn’t sure whether his heart is swelling with pride or breaking from the loss, but he returns his smile.

“Then I’ll be there to see it.”

Oikawa tackles his fellow third years in a bone-crushing hug, “We did it!”

Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki laugh at their captain’s enthusiasm and hugs him back. They huddle together in a circle, faces down and arms around each other. None of them are sure if it’s tears or sweat trickling down the floor, but it doesn’t matter.

The only thing that does is the fact that they _won_.

They’re in _Nationals_ and they just won their first match.

“You still owe us ramen if we lose,” Matsukawa jokes with a sniff. Oikawa smacks him on the head – hitting Iwaizumi in the process – then continues laughing. Iwaizumi whacks him in retaliation, Hanamaki ducks in case it keeps going.

Oikawa, with the biggest smile on his face, finally lifts his head up. “I hate you guys.”

The three laugh and pat him on the back.

They don’t need words to communicate – not in this moment that they call theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, you might also like my [Iwaizumi vs Oikawa oneshot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22632289)!
> 
> How was it? Spare thoughts! 🥺👉👈


End file.
